Friday, February 7, 2014

Norwegian electronic artist Annie has released a collaboration with Bjarne Melgaard, a visual artist based in New York. "Russian Kiss" is their reply to Vladimir Putin's anti-LGBT laws and the effects they have on the Sochi Olympics, along with everyday life in Russia. I feel like there's no need to write a long piece about this short film because Annie and Bjarne said it all in their statement, which you can read below.

The Winter Olympics are not just skating styles, waxing
techniques and jump lengths. The Winter Olympics are also deep emotions:
interpersonal, national, and global. Millions of TV-viewers are witness
to these emotions. Usually, they find their expression in embraces and
kisses. You can observe this at the finishing area and during the medal
ceremony — teammates embracing each other, winners kissing their
partners.

This may be difficult when the Olympic Games take place in
Sochi in February. As we know, Vladimir Putin has introduced laws
prohibiting gays and lesbians to show their love in public in Russia.
Furthermore, it is prohibited to talk positively about homosexuality in
public. This is the reason why an increasing number of leaders worldwide
have decided to boycott this year’s Olympics. In Norway, the political
leadership has rejected calls to remain at home. As a great power in
winter sports Norway is in a unique position to flex its muscles in a
situation like this. This could have been an occasion for Norway to
stand up for the fundamental right to express your feelings towards the
one you love.

In Norway, many gays and lesbians — and not only gays and lesbians —
have reacted against this. One of them is one of Norway’s best-known
elite artists: The New York-based artist Bjarne Melgaard (http://stabfrenzy.com/). Therefore, at the beginning of December, together with the Norwegian songwriter and performer Annie (http://anniemelody.com/),
he took the initiative to Russian Kiss: a short movie about the right
to kiss one’s beloved — regardless of sexual orientation — wherever one
likes.

Melgaard invited the photographer and director Richard Kern – http://www.richardkern.com/
– to direct the movie; famous for his collaborations with Marilyn
Manson, Sonic Youth, Indochine and Is Tropical. On short notice Kern and
his team joined forces with Annie and Melgaard.

The result is “Russian Kiss” – a critical cry from Norwegian and
American elite performers — albeit not from the Olympic disciplines.

Partial proceeds from iTunes sales of "Russian Kiss" will be donated to All Out. You can buy the song here and read all about the project here.